Click on thumbnails to see full photos To reach Lake Skilak and the remote Kenai Backcountry Lodge, we started on a 4-hour rafting trip down the Kenai River.	Hint: Don't sit at the front of the raft if you can help it. I'm searching for my third pair of dry gloves.	Michelle did all the work on the rafting trip and kept us informed and entertained as well.
Lunchtime, a picnic on the shores of the Kenai River.	The rafts await while we enjoy lunch and a chance to move around a bit.	The four-hour trip ends as we enter Lake Skilak, which we'll cross to get to the lodge. A panorama of the lake is at the bottom of the page.
The delicious food and cozy atmosphere were warm and welcoming at the historic Kenai Backcountry Lodge..	The rustic "convenience" was a reminder that this camp didn't always provide flush toilets and heated, floored tents (rear). It was closer than the bathhouse with running water..	Who needs refrigeration? The lodge's cooler was on the honor system.
Look, Ma, no net! Thanks to 100% DEET, Mary was able to hike without a mosquito net even among heavy swarms of the oh-too-common pest.	We made noise when hiking, just in case there were bears. The park service took no chances with visitors' garbage.	Another friendly swallow! This Violet-green Swallow was nesting at Alaska Wildlife Adventures' headquarters in Cooper's Landing.